Fountain-pen ink-vending machine



J. 8. FORD FOUNTAIN P EN INK VENDING Filed April 19, 1926 I 1,714,082MACHINE i 2 Sheets-Sheet l illlflh llu I I Y INVENTOR E 12. Q 7

44; ATTORNEY May 21, 1929. 3, FORD 1,714,082

FOUNTAIN PEN INK VEIVJDING MACHINE Filed Apr i1 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet2 O INVENTOR F .4. M

I BY a 1 1 A TTORNEY Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STAT PATENT .mmns B. ronn,' l or WASHINGTON rownsn r,noeancoun'rr, onto.

l FOUNTA N-PEN INK-VE DI G MACHINE.

Application filed April 19,

This invention relates tojn'ewi and useful improvements in fountain-penink Vending machines. i 1

It isone of the principal'objects of my invention to provide a compactattractive and dust-proof device or machine in'which a ink reservoirhasbeen closed after reservoir;

fountain-pen may be conveniently inserted for refilling. j 7 f Itisanot'her object of my invention to provide for attachment to thema'chine, simple coin-controlled mechanism to permit a fountain-pentobeinserte'd' in thejink reservo r after a coin has been'deposite'd'in'the coin chute; and thereafter to release the coin from the chute forpassage into a coin box belowwhenthe pen 'hasbeen pushed down to itsfull limit within the ink reservoir; 1 g

It is another objectfof my invention to'prosecond cointhrough the-coinchute until the its 'opening by the precedingcoin. i

used'without the coin-operating mechanism on anoaice or home desk.-

Other importantv and incidentalobjects will be brought out in thefollowing specification and particularlyset'forth in the sub.- joinedclaims. I

In" the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1; isatop plan View of my fountain-pen J ink vending machine. Figure 2 is "afront'view' of the same.

ure 3 is asectional view of'said machine taken'on-the line 33 of Figure1.' Figure 4 is-a sectional View taken through said machine on the line4-4 of Figure 1 And Figure 5 is a perspective view of the latch plateand associated mechanism; J r

Referring'to the accompanying drawings F for a detailed description ofmy invention,

' the numeral 1 designates a base frame which is preferably constructedof brass with three sides of glass to disclose to View the enclosedmechanism and ink reservoin; The

cured). vide means for preventing the pass'ageof'a 1 926. Serial'No.103,005] r l f 1,714,082 oFFlcE base frame 1 has a metal bottom'and alsoa A metal 'bacl g'the latter being designated by the numeral 2 andformed with an 'opening'3 that is "closed by a door tthrough which,

when open, ac'ccssmav be had to the enclosed partsand deposited coins.The base'fraine 1 is closed at its'top by a "cover plate 5which ispreferablyconstructed'of glass and \vhich'is formed at its rear portionwith a hole 6 through which there may be insertedthe neck ofaninverted'fo'untain-pen ink containing bottle 7. Secured to the coverplate 5' bysuitable means over the hole 6 therein is a bracket 8 whichhas a hole that registers with the hole 6 to yieldingly receive thene'ckof the inverted bottle 7 and to seal the opening around it, (SeeFig Depending from the cover plate 5 to receive ink from the invertedbottle '7 is a glass ink reservoir 10. For thepurpose'of insertingintothe latter the'penll of a fountain-pen to be filled, Ihavelprovi'de'dthe following means. Suitably secured upon the frontportion of the cover plate 5,' over. an

"opening. 12 therein, is a holloxv glass cylinder. '13 having anintegraltop 14' which is formed I with anopening l'fi through whichthepen 11' may beinserted'; v l1 1 "Freeto move vertically inthe' inkreservoir l0 to'close the iopening'12 inithecover ter, together with awasherl'l' below it; is se cured by rivets18 or other suitable fasteningmeans-to the bottom of asleeve 19 into whic "a fountain-pen is insertble; (See Figures?) and 4'.) a The sleeve 19 flares outwardly at'itsmiddle portion to form a tapering shoulder 20 which serves. asfa restfor theinner e'nd of the barrel-21 of the pen.

plate 51 from below,i'sa gasket 16. The lat- The sleeve 19 is free toslide over a guide i "sleeve 22 which is flanged ,at-its upper'end forattaclnn'entun'd er the topf14' ofthe glass cylinder 131"Art'itsupperendthe sleeve '19 is fastened in a hole in apljate'23, terminating abovethelatter-in a fla-nge'23 This plate 23 is secured'to the upper endsofshafts 24,

24 which are free to move vertically in bear- .ings 25, 25 respectivelyt i. cured-in holes in the cover'lplate'5. V a

r The shafts 24,2 1, which project below the horizontal plane of thebottom of the ink reservoir 10, have attached to their lower ends aplate 26. Firmly' secured-by nuts 27 and 28 in a hole in thelbottom ofthe base a frame 1, isa stationary guide rodf,29 for I through.

the plate 26 and which projects through a central hole in thelatter toform a support above it for the ink reservoir 10.

Surrounding the guide rod 29 between the movable plate 26 and theadjusting nut 27 is a helical spring 30 against the tension of which theplate 26 is adapted to be forced dowmvardly when the fountain pen 11 ispressed against the gasket 16; Accordingly, by inserting a fountain penin the sleeve 19 untilit engages the gasket 16, and then applying adownward pressure to the barrel 21 of the pen, the shaft frame beforedescribed which carries'the gasket will be forced downwardly against thetension of the spring 30 to permit that portion of the sleeve whichcarries the pen point 11 to beimmersed in the ink of the reservoir 10.The submerged portion. of the sleeve 19 has oppositely disposed ports 19through which ink from the reservoir 10 may enter the sleeve to surroundthe pen 11 therein for entrance through the latter to its barrel 21.

' When a fountain-pen has been filled with ink from the reservoir 10,the sleeve 19 which receives the pen may be Withdrawn from saidreservoir, whereupon the spring 30 will force theplat-e 26 upwardly. Theshafts 24, 24 attached to this platewill then raise the plate 23 attheir upper ends to elevate thesleeve 19 to a position wherein thegasket 16, which it carries, will seal the opening 12 in the cover plate5 against the evaporation of ink there- For the purpose of making myfountainpenaink vending machine coin-operated, so that it may beavailable in hotels, cigar stores and other establishments tofillfountain-pens upon the insertion of a coin, the following 7 means areprovided. Fitted to the cover plate 5 over a hole in the rear part ofthe latter is a coin chute 31 which projects well into the base frame 1below. (See Figures 2 and 4.) Free to swing like a pendulum about atrans verse pivot pin 32 in the upper part of the coin chute 31, is alatch plate 33, The toe portion 3 1. of this plate, which is beveled. is

normally maintained under the plate 26 by a light vertical spring 35having a right angled foot part that is riveted t-othe bottom of thebase frame 1. (See Figure 4.) At

the lower corner of the heel partof the latch phases there is formed alug 36 which is normally in engagement with the spring 35.

(See Figurese and 5.)

Formedon the plate 33 above the lug 36,

v is a lug 37 which, when engaged by a "coin inserted in the chute 31,will move the latch plate 33 rearwardly a short distance to perunit thebeveled toe part 34 of the latch plate 33 to come under the edge of theplate 26. i The sleeve 19 carrying the plan 11 is now free to be pusheddown into the ink reservoir 10 as before described, and during thedescent ofthe plate 26 the latter will cam the foot scribed. i a a c 7From the foregoing description 1t will be seen that while my fountam-pmmk vending part of the latch plate 33 outwardly. The

lug 36 which has thus far intercepted the the plate 26 to; force thegasket 16 tightly against. the opening 12in the cover p1ate5 to seal it.During the upward movement of the plate 26, the spring 35 will force thelatch plate 33 upwardly to a position to bring its toe part 34; directlyunder thepedge of the plate '26 for the purpose of locking the machineagainst. operation until another coin has been inserted in the chute 31.(See Figure2.) 1

To preve t the passage of a second coin through the chute 31 after themachine has been unlocked by the coin previously inserted, a lug 4C0isformed on the latch plate 33 above its toe part 34,130 that when theplate .33 is moved outwardly by the firstcoin, the lug 10 will be movedto a position within the chute 31 to intercept the passageof a secondcoin through it. When the latch plate is again restored to its lockingposition, the

lug 40 will be withdrawn from the chute31 to' permit another coin todrop upon the lug 37 .to'unlock the machine as, previously demachine maybe non-coin controlled,it may be readily converted into a coin-actuatedone by applying to it such mechanism as I have just described. 1

I do not wish to be limited tothe details of construction andarrangement herein shown anddescribed, and any changes or modificationsmay be made therein Withinthe scope of the subjoined claims. Havingdescribed my invention, I claim:

1. In' a fountain-pen filling device, a reciprocating valve member, acoin chute,a swinging latch plate in said chute formed with a shoulderadapted to engage alower 1 adapted to beengaged by a descending. coin tomove the plate outwardly a sufficient distaneeto bring its beveledcorner portion into engagementwith the edge of said valve memher, forthe purpose specified.

2. In a fountainpen filling device, a reciprocating valve-member,2100111 chute, a swing its beveled corner portion into engagement 1 withsaid edge of the valve member, a second lug on the latch plate below thefirst lug to intercept the downward movement of the coin through thechute after it has passed the first lug, and a spring in engagement withthe second lug, the second lug adapted to be cammed against said springto release the coin through the engagement of said edge of the valvemember with'the beveled corner portion of the latch plate. 7 v

In witness whereof I have hereunto fset izo my hand this 16th day ofApril, 1926. 4

" I JAMES B. FORD.

